The Chess Machine

by Robert Löhr, Anthea Bell (Translator)

Vienna 1770—Baron Wolfgang von Kempelen unveils a strange and amazing invention, the Mechanical Turk, a sensational and unbeatable chess-playing automaton. But what the Habsburg court hails as the greatest innovation of the century is really nothing more than a brilliant illusion. The chess machine is secretly operated from inside by the Italian dwarf Tibor, a God-fearing social outcast whose chess-playing abilities and diminutive size make him the perfect accomplice in this grand hoax.

Von Kempelen and his helpers tour his remarkable invention all around Europe to amaze and entertain the public, but despite many valiant attempts and close calls, no one is able to beat the extraordinary chess machine. The crowds all across Europe adore the Turk, and the success of Baron von Kempelen seems assured. But when a beautiful and seductive countess dies under mysterious circumstances in the presence of the automaton, the Mechanical Turk falls under a cloud of suspicion, and the machine and his inventor become the target of espionage, persecution, and aristocratic intrigue.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Chess, Historical, German Literature, Germany, Roman

347 pages, Hardcover

First published September 17, 2007

About the author

Robert Löhr was born in Berlin and grew up there and in Bremen and Santa Barbara, California. He trained as a journalist at the Berlin School of Journalism, then worked for Sat. 1 News and for the Berlin daily paper Der Tagesspiegel, Berliner Zeitung, Neue Zeit, and Taz, and finally as a correspondent for the Washington Post. After spending many years writing screenplays, musicals, plays, and short stories, Löhr decided to try his hand at a novel. The Chess Machine, also know as The Secrets of the Chess Machine, is his first.

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried very hard to get into this, because, frankly, I had judged this book by its cover. It's an excellent cover, to be fair - all revolving cogs and wheels and jubilant aristocrats striking curious poses. Too bad the book itself is such a disappointment. It takes a wonderful story from history - the making of a chess-playing automaton, which was in reality an elaborate hoax - and turns it into a textbook thriller, with characters who aren't particularly interesting or memorable, and without any of the whimsy or steampunk one would hope to get out of such a topic. The main character is a dwarf who is a chess genius, and the real brains behind the automaton, but he is just as dull a character as the rest, vacillating between mindless religiosity and mindless sexual appetite. Not even in funny or interesting way. I had to put it down halfway through because the plot was plodding along far too predictably.

The one thing I did think was handled well was the dwarf's friendship with a Jewish craftsman who had helped to build the automaton. At first the dwarf was really freaked out by the fact the guy was Jewish, and found all sorts flaws and annoyances in his character, and tried to avoid him. Gradually they're thrown together enough that he comes to tolerate him and eventually they became close friends. There was no sudden, modern epiphany of "And so, the dwarf realized Jews really were okay after all!" - it just sort of quietly happens behind scenes, which I felt was much more realistic for the time period.

[Tom LA · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about a dwarf who hid inside a mechanical chess machine to make it look like it would play chess autonomously. Different and exhilarating.

[Orsolya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps a novel about a chess-playing automaton is not your ideal storyline. What if I told you that there was a secret behind the machine depending on a dwarf which traversed murder, revenge, and espionage? If those images spark your attention, then The Chess Machine by Robert Lohr is perfect for you.

Don’t expect a traditional novel arc with The Chess Machine, as the book simply does not begin with the “usual” character introductions. This will reject some readers due to the novel’s somewhat flat beginning and lack of connection to the characters leading to a loss of depth and understanding of any underlying messages. However, take my advice and read on (it takes about 25 pages or so before the real excitement begins); and you will encounter an exciting and page-turning story with images similar to the film, “The Prestige”.

Before being used to the format, the reader may stumble upon some confusion with the chapter layout which includes several storylines and jumps back and forth between current events and flashbacks/memories. Eventually, one begins to synchronize with the system and the story evolution begins to sweep the reader away. Further, like an aging wine (pardon the overused comparison); The Chess Machine becomes better as the story progresses and reveals secrets, twists, and inevitable intrigue. These surprising and expected turns literally result in the reader gasping out loud and add increased levels of excitement to the story. Basically, Lohr successfully implored elements of a mystery novel but without the “cheesiness” and more of the puzzle factor.

One won’t follow the traditional character developmental arcs in order to better understand Tibor, Jakob, or Kempelen; but instead begins to understand the characters more and more as the story passes through with their actions which ultimately creates that desired bond. Furthermore, Lohr isn’t blatant in the underlying themes, but the ideals regarding ambition, greed, vanity, love, lust, companionship, life & death, and even war (just to name a few); come into play and the depth begins to shine all within a thrilling backdrop.

Halfway through the book (around page 200), several events and characters (including Tibor) take a complete opposite route in their expected paths. This will either upset the reader due to the unexpected nature or it will add thrill to the unknown outcome. A very individualistic aspect of the novel was the constant rotating of which character was the protagonist or the antagonist. These roles would shift adding an almost bi-polar nature causing the reader to not know what will happen next. It reflected “real life” in terms of an individual having to adapt to situations for survival and not being firmly and solely committed to one role at all times.

The Chess Machine follows an easy to understand language and yet isn’t annoyingly elementary. A component of class surrounds the style and essence.

My major qualm was the ending which seemed to drag on. The plotline had a strong ending but Lohr continued to write. Basically, the novel could have ended firmly pages before it actually did.

The Chess Machine is based on a true story, although depicting the early life of the Mechanical Turk which allowed Lohr to implore a large amount of historical liberties. Despite this, the novel isn’t “annoying” or fluffy and is certainly a unique theme and story which sticks out in the book crowd.

[Teresa Mills-Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot remember who passed this book along to me but I've had it on my book shelf for nearly 3 years and finally selected it to read. I admit to a preference for "Penguin Books" because their authors are interesting and NOT run of the mill. So, the Chess Machine ... I gave it 4 stars because it kept my interest even though I do not play chess or know much about the game. It is based on a true story but the author surmised much of what was not known. It is a period piece (1760's to 1780's) which added to my enjoyment as the author maintained historical accuracy in setting and the cultures described.

A solid read.

[Mary]

I picked this book up on whim from the public library's New Books section because the backstory is about an elaborate hoax during the 17th century Hapsburg Empire to build an automaton that could play chess as intelligently as a human being. I thought it was going to be like the type of creepy but enthralling stories that I had to read for a class on German Romantism, like Hofmannsthal's The Sandman (basis for the ballet Coppelia) or Mary Shelley's original Frankenstein.

Except that instead of delving into what is the essence of being human, the grotesque or what happens when people use science to circumvent nature, it becomes instead a standard thriller with rote/flat characters. It also has two of my pet peeves in fiction: really bad/unpleasant depictions of sex (to the point that you have to wonder about the writer's own personal attitudes) and female characters who are types. Granted, the whore with a heart of gold who finds redemption is ultimately meant to be one of the more sympathetic main characters, but she never gets past the point of being a cliche. Plus the central relationship once the main narrative starts going is essentially a retelling of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (or Beauty & the Beast, take your pick). Which was really disappointing, given that I was expecting something along the lines of The Sandman, which is one of the weirdest, coolest things I've ever read.

[Sanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. Robert Löhr chooses unexpected, off-the-beaten-track subjects for his historical fiction. Unconventional and obscure historical events are right up my alley, so this novel promised to be a blast. Sadly, the book did not deliver.

This was Löhr's debut novel and it shows. He didn't get the pacing right, nor was he able to give his characters any depth. The story revolves around a mechanical chess machine. The first machine able to think and play chess - or that's what everyone believes. In reality, it's all a hoax. Inside hides a man who controls the machine and plays the games. The story has all the elements for a great thriller: a mysterious machine with a secret, its ambitious "inventor" ready to defend the secret at all costs, the people around him trying to uncover said secret. It has spies, murder and jealous lovers. And yet Löhr doesn't construct this exiting story in a skillful way, resulting in a flat, unexciting novel about a dwarf in a cabinet.

All characters are cardboard cut-outs whose actions you can see coming from miles away. Their emotional journeys are not fleshed out. I was especially disappointed with the shallow treatment of Tibor, the main character. He had so much good things going for him that would make for an interesting character, but Löhr didn't take any opportunity to give him any depth or any believable quality. There's no sense of personal journey about Tibor, even though the author clearly intended for him to have one. If en when the author describes some changes in his character, they seem to come out of nowhere, as there's no build-up. For instance, Tibor is a de facto prisoner when staying with Kempelen. He cannot leave the house for fear that someone might see him and guess the machine is a hoax. Yet, there's absolutely no sense of the claustrophobic quality of his stay whatsoever. There's never any mention of Tibor feeling locked-up. In fact, most of the scenes describe him sneaking out in a ridiculous disguise to have random adventures whenever Kempelen isn't home. Then all of a sudden, Tibor makes a spare key so he can go out whenever he likes and he "doesn't have to feel locked up anymore". I didn't get the impression at all that he disliked being indoors all the time, so why should he make a copy of the key?.

Other elements that aren't fleshed out are his elation that for once he isn't shunned for his appearance, but that he's the celebrated center of attention; the build-up of his relations with Jacob and Elise is non-existent. On top of that, his religious journey completely unbelievable, almost slap-stick, and his sexual encounters are really random and serve no purpose (would the publishers have pushed Löhr to put in more of them, because "sex sells"?). In short:just about any element in the book that could have given it an interesting dynamic and could have pulled a reader in.

Because of the poor characterization, there's next to no tension. The events are recounted, but the characters do not seem affected at all. A shame, as this novel leaves me with regret for what could have been a brilliant story.

[Jason Pettus · Rating 4 out of 5]

(The much longer full review can be found at the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com].)

As regular readers know, one of the topics that often comes up here at the CCLaP website is of the slippery line between what we commonly refer to as "mainstream" literature versus "genre;" of not only where that line should be drawn, but of how we look at books differently based on what side it falls, not to mention the different smaller lines that can be drawn once you're on one side or another. For example, I'm a general fan of the science-fiction genre, as are many of CCLaP's readers; but then within sci-fi, I myself am a particular fan of a subgenre known as "steampunk." A play on the '80s sci-fi term "cyberpunk," it is basically a mix of speculative fiction and Victorian-era (or older) historical fiction, running with science-fictiony concepts based on real events from the time period; for example, what the world would've been like if computers had actually been invented back then instead of the 1950s, which actually did almost happen in real life except for the prototypes' prohibitive costs and enormous space requirements back then. At its aesthetic heart, steampunk is basically the attempt to take various high-tech concepts from our real present day, and "retrofit" them into beautifully-designed wood and metal forms, to imagine a world where robots work off of burning coal and double as exquisite objets de art, all for the good of our Glorious Queen and Her Empire.

That's why I was so excited, after all, to pick up German writer Robert Lohr's first novel, the very smart and fun action adventure The Chess Machine; because it too can be technically counted as a steampunk novel, although in this case is set around a hundred years before most of the genre's other examples, or in other words the late 1700s. And that's because, interestingly enough, the core of the novel's storyline is based around an actual object with shady origins: an actual "Mechanical Turk" chess-playing automaton, in reality an elaborate hoax, well-known as a touring historical item in the 1800s but with society having collectively forgotten its beginnings. Lohr uses this lost origin to his advantage, taking the object itself and moving backwards in time creatively to imagine a colorful and danger-filled Vienna, when a cloudy haze existed between magic and science and where lots of hucksters were ready to step in and take advantage of it. The result is a delightfully exciting story, one that has more potential mainstream appeal than other steampunk novels because of it being rooted in reality; it is a book sure to thrill not only nerdy hard-edged sci-fi fans such as myself, but also those who love the mystery genre and straight-ahead historical fiction as well. There's a reason, after all, that the book rights have already been sold in twenty countries, and it wouldn't surprise me to hear of a major Hollywood deal at any moment too.

So as mentioned, probably the best place to start a discussion of The Chess Machine is...

[El · Rating 2 out of 5]

Based on mostly-true events of the late 18th-century in Europe, Robert Lohr's first novel recreates the life and times of the Mechanical Turk, an automaton created by Baron Wolfgang von Kempelen which could "think" and play chess in an attempt to win the attention of the Empress. What von Kempelen managed to do was to create a sensational stir across Europe with what actually was all a fancy hoax. Lohr takes some creative liberty and draws a murder mystery into the mix, of which causes enough suspicion of the Mechanical Turk to risk the downfall of the brilliant engineer, von Kempelen.

There was a lot of promise at the beginning of the story - the 18th-century in Europe was a fascinating period, the idea of an automaton was a strong one, murder mysteries and hoaxes are great fun - but at some point the characters managed to lose some of their realism. The problem with writing historical fiction is that in order to be realistic, the characters based on true characters need to be realistic. Hard enough to know exactly how a baron of the 18th-century may act or talk, but it's harder even to not slip into basic and unoriginal personas. The protagonist is an Italian dwarf, a chess master; at first he seemed to be the most promising character. But then at some point he seemed to turn into a vehicle for the author to use in a series of sexual encounters, many of which became gratuitous after the first encounter which established the fact that he was Catholic and proud of it and he felt himself turning into a sinner.

I wanted to like the whole thing, and while the author created a charming friendship between the dwarf and one of the engineers of the Turk, a Jew, I had hoped the rest of the story and plot would have been less predictable. I loved the European setting and the cameo appearances of real royalty, etc. throughout the story; but ultimately I found myself wondering why Lohr decided to make it a piece of fiction. I probably would have found my interest satisfied more had he written a nonfiction book about the Turk and von Kemepelen. According to the author's notes at the end of the book there are at least two pieces of nonfiction about this same thing written in 2000 and 2002 which I would like to someday get around to reading. For the time being, however, Lohr's book left me high and dry and sort of grumpy. Maybe it's just my general sour mood of the moment, or maybe I just had such high expectations of The Chess Machine that I actually wound up disappointed. It actually was just okay. Nothing more, nothing less.

There seems to be a large population that genuinely enjoyed this book, so obviously it found its place in many hearts. Obviously not mine. I, sadly, was underwhelmed.

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liked this one a lot - a retelling of the Von Kempelen chess Automaton beginnings and an extraordinarily compelling story of the three main protagonists (the Baron, ambitious, clever and only a bit unscrupulous to start in his quest for social and economic advancement in the cut throat world of the Austro-Hungarian court, his Jewish master builder Jacob, skilled but too fond of women and wine and the dwarf master chess player with a conscience Tibor who is by far the best-realized character) for about 2/3 of the book; unfortunately at some point, it becomes a bit too much soap opera and the action intensifies in a coincidence laden way so while still entertaining, the novel loses a little balance; an excellent ending recounting what happened later and the general story of the automaton after the Baron sold it in his later years adds to a very good book which falls just a little short of awesome but is still quite recommended

[Mike Angelillo · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit more dwarf sex than I am used to in a book about chess and 18th century European nobility but............

I think that this novel falls into the trap that many books in the "historical fiction" fall into regardless of the subject. The fictional characters, or the events/dialogue created around the historical characters, are just not nearly as interesting as the actual events.

[Dan Right · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mie povestea mi-a plăcut foarte mult. Are acel “ceva” care m-a atras întotdeauna la o carte.
Nu e de 5 stele, însă... Pentru asta, cartea trebuie sa ma impresioneze până la lacrimi și sa transmită un mesaj extrem de puternic.

[Gemma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining retelling of historical phenomenon unfortunately leaves characters rather flat.

[Κώστας · Rating 4 out of 5]

Κάθε καινοτομία, στην εποχή της, τυγχάνει αντικείμενο χλευασμού, φθόνου, υπονόμευσης, φτάνοντας ακόμα και στα όρια του μίσους. Ιησούς, Γαλιλαίος, Ντίζελ και τόσα άλλα φωτισμένα πρόσωπα και μυαλά πέρασαν των παθών τους τον τάραχο μέχρι η ιστορία να τους δικαιώσει, τους περισσότερους μετά τον τραγικό τους θάνατο δυστυχώς. Το ίδιο συμβαίνει και με τις εφευρέσεις. Κάθε τι το ξεχωριστό έχει δύσκολο έργο. Από τη μιά το επιβουλεύονται προτού προλάβει καν να κυκλοφορήσει, αφετέρου η καχυποψία της μάζας τορπιλίζει την ευρεία διάδοση και αποδοχή του.
Ολοκληρωμένη άποψη, παρουσίαση, κριτική και σκέψεις/σχόλια μπορείτε να βρείτε στην ομάδα* μας στο facebook https://m.facebook.com/groups/1267229...





*Goodreads μετάβαση

Όταν πρωτογνώρισα το goodreads, εντυπωσιάστηκα!
Ήταν η Μetropolis του βιβλίου.
Τόσα δεδομένα μαζεμένα δεν είχα ξαναδεί.
Το είπα "μεγάλη δεξαμενή".
Σε σχέση με τα φόρουμ της εποχής, τούτο ήταν κάτι διαφορετικό. Δεν υπήρχε πρόβλημα να γράψεις κακή κριτική για όποιο βιβλίο δεν σου άρεσε. Ήταν εύχρηστο, αντικειμενικό, φιλικό. Και ο χρήστης δεν ένιωθε την ανάσα των λειτουργών (operators) και των ιδιοκτητών (admins) να τον ελέγχουν και να τον παρατηρούν σαν άλλοι big brothers.
Από τότε πέρασαν πολλά χρόνια. Κύλησε πολύ νερό στον μύλο, μεγαλώσαμε μαζί του.
Άρχισε να γερνάει. Να δείχνει κάποιες ατέλειες και αδυναμίες. Νέα χαρακτηριστικά σε νέους ιστότοπους έρχονταν να το υπερκεράσουν.
Πόσες φορές, θυμάμαι, με είχε απασχολήσει ένα θέμα εδώ. Αλλά το μόνο "εργαλείο" αλληλεπίδρασης των χρηστών είναι τα mail μεταξύ φίλων. Έστελνα κι εγώ, λοιπόν, ομαδικές επιστολές. Όπου θάμουν ευτυχής αν έπαιρνα απάντηση σε μία από κάθε δέκα που έστελνα. Είναι φανερό. Οι περισσότεροι αρέσκονται στο να λαμβάνουν μόνο. Να διαβάζουν κριτικές, να μην γράφουν δικες τους, να μη συμμετέχουν σε απορίες χρηστών ή καλέσματα φίλων.
Αλλά για να γράψω εγώ και να μοντάρω κάποιες σκέψεις μου για ενα βιβλίο που μόλις διάβαζα, χρειαζόμουν ένα ολόκληρο απόγευμα. Άνισο δεν νομίζετε;

Κάπως έτσι...

Αποφάσισα κι εγώ να μεταφέρω τις κριτικές μου και τα σχόλια, σιγά σιγά σε ομάδες στο διαδίκτυο. Ξεκινώντας από το facebook. Ψάχνοντας την αμεσότητα, την ανοιχτή συζήτηση. Την συμμετοχή όσων μας ενώνει το κοινό μας χόμπυ.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1267229...

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical fiction based on what little is known about the Mechanical Turk, whose first performance was in 1770. To its audience, the Mechanical Turk was an unbeatable chess-playing automaton; in reality it was a brilliant illusion and hoax that fooled the world. It was created by Baron Wolfgang von Kempelen, who was in the service of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. No one knows who first operated the Turk, and this book is Lohr's creative imaginings to fill in the gaps.

Kempelen was popular with the Empress; he had impressed her with successes in other civil areas, but he was ambitious; he wanted to create something unique that would immortalize his mechanical skills. He first wanted to create a machine that spoke; this proved more difficult than he imagined, and pressed for time based on the Empress's six month time limit, he decided to create a chess machine. This was the Age of Enlightenment, the beginning of the scientific revolution. Newton was publishing in the early 1700s. Strides were being made in magnetism and electricity. There was much excitement and interest in science; the Empress wanted to ensure that Austria didn't fall behind. Kempelen played into that desire; he didn't seem bothered by the fact that it was all a lie; the ends in his personal moral philosophy justified the means. In the afterward, Lohr says that he did take creative liberty in Kempelen's apparent willingness to do whatever it took to keep his secret. In fact, most people wanted to believe in the Turk. Imagine it: a thinking machine that was able to best the human chess player! Other automatons that existed at the time seemed to fulfill two purposes: to entertain and as symbols of mechanical progress.

[Scarlet Cameo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Al contrario de lo hace este libro, comenzaré por el inicio. Esta novela está inspirada en hechos veridicos nos habla de una autómata que juega ajedrez...que básicamente es un enano encerrado en una incomodisima caja. Conforme este invento va ganando popularidad, gracias a sus interminables triunfos frente a la nobleza.

La novela engancha, empieza por el final (el meollo del asunto te lo dicen no en la primera página sino en el primer párrafo) pero ello no impide que disfrutes el trayecto.

El mayor problema de esta historia radica en no siempre fluye, hay párrafos que presentan hechos nuevos pero es confuso la manera en que son introducidos, no pasa durante toda la novela pero cuando sucede es un poco chocante.

Una buena narración, muy bien documentada, fácil y rápida de leer.

[Padraigh Mchale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a combination steam punk/historical fiction, The Chess Machine is a surprisingly good read, quick and entertaining. The story is based on a real "Mechanical Turk" that toured around Europe in the 1800's, but whose origins are lost to recorded history. The author takes the beginnings of the machine and makes up his own characters, filling in the origin of how the Turk was first created. What you come up with is a surprisingly fun suspense/thriller style novel, which is quite easy to read a chapter more than you meant to late at night. Something that could appeal to people who like historical fiction, but it also has a vague sci-fi vibe to it, aside from the fact that the Robot Chess Machine is a hoax. Great, quick read, perfect for summer.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
It's the 18th century and our main characters are a chess-playing dwarf, an amoral,amorous nobleman/inventor,a pregnant,disgraced Courtesan , a ribald Jewish clockmaker, and the Empress Marie Theresa herself: so what's not to like? Tibor, the small person , is the most intriguing dwarf since "The Tin Drum", altho in a completely benign,sympathetic way. He's a devout Catholic, a veteran of the 30 years war and a perfect pawn for the unscrupulous Baron and his invention the Turk automaton, a machine that plays chess in an uncannily smart manner. The Mechanical Turk was a real phenomenon during Europe at the time and it is fascinating to follow Lohr's novel as he combines reality and fiction into a picaresque morality tale. A good read indeed.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall an enjoyable work of historical fiction, based on the true story of a late 18th century chess-playing machine that was, in reality, just an elaborate hoax. The story is told with lots of eccentric characters, and the narrative is well-paced and helped along by occasional flash-forwards that slowly reveal how things worked out for these characters over time. By the end I think the author may have tried a little *too* hard to be unpredictable and defy the readers' expectations by making characters act out of line with their established personalities, and turning a few hints from the future into completely meaningless red-herrings, but overall it was a very enjoyable read.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's most fascinating about this book is that the chess machine of the title not only existed, but also really did dupe citizens and royal courts across Europe for decades.
I very much enjoyed the historical setting of the book, which travelled from Venice to Slovakia via Prussia and Austria. The plot is quite pacey and while it does culminate in a bit of a far-fetched blood-spilling climax, I could imagine this book making a good historical action movie, with all its soldiers and generals, royals, their advisors and their courtesans, bored baronesses, swords, taverns and street brawls and of course, Tibor the god-fearing chess grand master dwarf.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frankly...I couldn't get through this book. I petered out around page two hundred, when the characters just all seemed to be doing what I expected of them, in the ways I predicted. It's a beautiful cover, and a beautiful idea, but too often the story aspects are jammed into the historical aspects, and the characters seem to be pastiches rather than individual. I wouldn't rule out other books by this author, but this book didn't succeed for me.

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Translated from the German by Anthea Bell and narrated by Stephen Hoy. I would love to see a film of this book.

[Michele Kallio · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Chess Machine is a novelized retelling of one of the greatest hoaxes of all time. It is the story of Baron Wolfgang Von Kempelen's invention, The Turk, a chess playing automaton. It is an enjoyable read.

[Maíra · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://maisbaqueiro.com/2015/06/28/a-...

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Besides being a very thrilling historical novel, "The Chess Machine" is a fantastic character study, with a memorable protagonist and compelling suporting characters.

[Ravic · Rating 2 out of 5]

So kann man reinfallen, wenn man einen historischen Roman wegen der zugrundeliegenden (interessanten) historischen Fakten kauft.

"Als Hofrat Wolfgang von Kempelen 1770 am Habsburgischen Hof seinen Schach spielenden Automaten präsentiert, gilt der Maschinenmensch als großartigste Errungenschaft des Jahrhunderts. Doch tatsächlich verbirgt sich im Innern der Maschine ein Zwerg - und dieses menschliche Gehirn erweist sich als tödlich und sterblich zugleich. Von den Bleikammern Venedigs zum kaiserlichen Hof in Wien, von den Palästen des Preßburger Adels in die Gassen des Judenviertels - ein spannender historischer Roman um ein legendäres Täuschungsmanöver." [Produktbeschreibung]

Die Geschichte des Schachtürken war mir fast gänzlich unbekannt, so daß ich zumindest in dieser Hinsicht einiges gelernt habe. Sprachlich ist das Buch angenehm und gut zu lesen. Allerdings bleiben die Figuren der Handlung etwas blaß, leblos und im wesentlichen unattraktiv; man entwickelt gegen das Ende hin nicht einmal großes Interesse dafür, wie es denn mit den Hauptpersonen weiterging. Die angekündigte Spannung hält sich leider in Grenzen, obwohl die Geschichte, wie ich meine, sehr viel mehr hergegeben hätte. Obwohl der Roman vom historischen Vorbild etwas abweicht – Löhr geht sogar so weit, Kempelen einen Mord begehen zu lassen – gelingt es ihm nicht, den Leser wirklich zu fesseln. Zahlreiche Längen lassen Langeweile aufkommen und bei den technischen Details macht sich das Fehlen von Abbildungen unangenehm bemerkbar. Die Art und Weise, wie der Schachzwerg im Türken versteckt war, wie er sein Versteck wechselte, wenn die Türen des Schachtisches vor Beginn des Spiels zur Demonstration geöffnet wurden, wie er von innen die Züge des Gegenspielers beobachtete [Die Schachfiguren waren mit Magnetkernen versehen, die auf der Unterseite des Bretts an Nadeln angebrachte Metallringe hoben oder senkten], wie er seine eigenen Züge mit Hilfe einer Storchschnabelmechanik ausführte, die die Hand des Schachtürken bewegte, sind so unzulänglich beschrieben, daß mir die ganze Konstruktion unklar blieb, bis ich Bilder davon im Internet aufgetrieben hatte. Hier fehlen Abbildungen, die man in einem Roman zwar im allgemeinen nicht erwarten kann, die aber angesichts der komplizierten Apparatur notwendig gewesen wären.

Gänzlich verschenkt wurde die Chance, die Wirkung des Türken (wie auch anderer mechanischer Apparaturen) in der fortschrittsgläubigen Gesellschaft des ausgehenden Barock ein wenig zu durchleuchten. Obwohl der ganze Schwindel schon zu Kempelens Lebzeiten von mehreren Beobachtern durchschaut wurde, die auch entsprechende Interpretationen des Apparats publizierten, blieb das Publikum davon weitgehend unberührt und stattdessen weiterhin von der Maschine fasziniert. Selbst im 19. Jahrhundert noch reiste Johann Mälzel, der nach Kempelens Tod den Schachtürken gekauft hatte, damit durch die Welt und regte u.a. Edgar Allan Poes kritischen Essay zu diesem Thema (mit der richtigen Auflösung) an. Nicht zuletzt wäre die Geschichte höchst interessant als Parallele zur aktuellen Diskussion über künstliche Intelligenz, deren Anfänge – zumindest deren technische wie philosophische Rezeption – in der damaligen Zeit zu finden sind.

Löhrs Roman ist eins der typischen Bücher, das man nur deshalb zu Ende liest, weil der Anfang ganz ordentlich war und man die ganze Zeit hofft, daß es doch irgendwann interessant oder spannend (oder beides) werden könnte. Immerhin habe ich gelernt, daß die Verben "türken" und "einen Türken bauen" auf Kempelens Schachautomaten zurückgehen. So war die Lektüre nicht ganz umsonst.

Bei Amazon wird das Buch übrigens viel enthusiastischer besprochen, es kann also sein, daß ich einen etwas sonderlichen Geschmack habe (oder daß der Autor einiges Geld in Fünf-Sterne-Rezensionen investiert hat).

3 von 10 in einem finsteren Apparat schwitzenden zwergwüchsigen Schachgenies.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loosely based on actual events in 18th century Europe, The Secrets of the Chess Machine tells the story of the Baron von Kempelen, whom having seen a demonstration of magnetism and claiming that he could invent something even more remarkable is challenged by Maria Theresia, the Empress of Hapsburg, to do so within six months. The result is the Mechanical Turk, a chess-playing automaton. However, the Mechanical Turk is nothing but a cunning hoax for hidden inside the machine behind clockwork gear wheels that do nothing and are purely for show is Tibor, an Italian dwarf with astonishing chess-playing abilities. Tibor is deeply religious whilst Baron von Kempelen is in reality a conman. After gaining Tibor's release from a Venetian dungeon the Baron persuades him to utilise his God-given talents in order to fool audiences throughout the Empire.

There have been much written about the Mechanical Turk in later decades but little is known about it's early days so this is a purely fictional account. Initially the Turk was only meant to have one performance in front of the Empress but she is so astonished by it she orders the Baron continue showing it. However, when a woman mysteriously dies after one of its performances suspicion falls on von Kempelen and the Turk, they become targets for intrigue and religious persecution.

On the whole I found the characters are engaging and it is obvious that the author has done his research of the period giving the reader a feel for the machinations of Hapsburg court life and in many respects the murder mystery is secondary but always remains plausible. Far more important is the motivation that drives von Kempelen, who is already relatively successful, to carry out his charade.

That is not to say that I felt that it wasn't without its issues. The author was a journalist before turning author and at times it reads more like a news editorial instead of a true novel. There are also a couple of time shifts which felt rather clunky. Despite these minor faults I still felt that overall it was an enjoyable, worthwhile read.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

És un llibre diferent del que acostumo a llegir, però era impossible que em resistís a un llibre que té per títol "La máquina de ajedrez".



La història està bé, és entretinguda. Segurament hi ha massa personatges amb problemes, i tot és massa recargolat, però com a mínim es llegeix bé.



La traducció és una altra història. Començant pels àlfils, que es tradueixen per "oficials" o "bisbes" (i és indiferent, a vegades és un, a vegades l'altre), a peons que arriben a la última fila i en comptes de "coronar", es "canvien" per dames. Entenc que en un altre tipus de llibre on hi surt tangencialment el tema dels escacs es pugui arribar a cometre un error d'aquests (tot i que no s'hauria de fer), però en un llibre que s'anomena "La máquina de ajedrez" és de jutjat de guàrdia.



La història està basada en la història real de l'inventor del turc, tot i que dubto que tot plegat fos tan recargolat. Però està bé com a novel.la històrica i d'entreteniment (tot i que no per gaire res més).

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Chess Machine is a beautifully written book. I don't have much of an interest in 18th century machinery or chess, but Robert Löhr makes the topics intriguing. The novel is based on the true story of Wolfgang von Kempelen's chess-playing automaton, which was actually an elaborate hoax rather than a machine capable of human thought.

The characters' personal dramas give a welcome relief from the clockwork machinery and the tediousness of the royal court, but the ending dragged on for far too long and had too many convenient plot twists. The author embellishes the story with sex, drunken nights, and murder...there's a good balance between action and historical events, but it doesn't seem believable. It's a bit strange how most of the novel is a flashback, but there are spoilers throughout the novel when the timeline jumps to the present. Löhr's style is literary without being too flowery or dull; this is very impressive for a debut novel. I'm glad I re-read the book but I don't love it enough to consider reading it again.

[Adelein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Itävalta-Unkarin keisarinna Maria Teresia pyytää hovineuvos von Kempeleniä valmistamaan ihmeellisen koneen, joka pystyy ajattelemaan ihmisen lailla. Von Kempelen rakentaa šakkia pelaavan automaatin, mutta todellisuudessa kyse on huijauksesta: koneen sisällä istuu Tibor-niminen italialainen kääpiö, joka on mestari šakinpeluussa. Von Kempelen on kunnianhimoinen ja jatkaa šakkinäytösten järjestämistä, vaikka monet ovat valmiita selvittämään šakkiautomaatin salaisuuden...

Robert Löhrin osittain tositapahtumiin perustuva historiallinen romaani on erittäin mielenkiintoinen, enkä olisi tähän todennäköisesti koskaan törmännyt ilman ystäväni vinkkausta. Jo pelkkä aihe on erikoinen ja kiehtova. Myös henkilöhahmot ovat uskottavia, erityisesti rehellinen Tibor, joka käy jatkuvaa kamppailua omantuntonsa kanssa. Suosittelen!

[Marloes D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het is de sensatie van de eeuw: baron van Kempelen heeft een schaakmachine uitgevonden! Als lezer weet je vanaf het begin dat het een hoax is: er zit een dwerg in, genaamd Tibor, die supergoed kan schaken. Hoewel hij zelf katholiek is, sluit hij vriendschap met de joodse vakman Jakob. Ondertussen maken ze vijanden en doet Van Kempelen er alles aan om zijn geheim te beschermen.

Karakters: plat. Typetjes.
Setting: de Oostenrijks-Hongarijse dubbel monarchie onder Keizerin Maria Theresia (1717-1780). Van Kempelen wil haar aandacht.
Schrijfstijl: vlot leesbaar
Spanning: worden ze ontmaskerd of krijgt een vijand ze te pakken voor Tibor zijn behandeling niet meer pikt?
Diepgang: weinig. De auteur heeft een paar kansen laten liggen.